NFL Trade Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler and More

The NFL trade deadline is going to be lit. Well, at least the trade talks leading up to it will be.

According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, a number of teams are in the market for a defensive end and have inquired about players like Houston's Jadeveon Clowney, Jacksonville's Dante Fowler and Chicago's Leonard Floyd. 

It remains to be seen if any of those players will actually be moved. It seems unlikely. But at the very least, it sounds as though a few offers will be coming in. 

Clowney is the most attractive name of the bunch and also the least likely to be moved. The Texans are currently 5-3 and atop the AFC South, putting them squarely in the postseason picture. And he's been excellent again in 2018, registering 23 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. 

Pro Football Focus has given him a solid grade of 74.5 this season, good for 26th among edge-rushers.

Teams may call, but why would the Texans break up the dynamic duo of J.J. Watt and Clowney? Especially in the middle of a potential playoff run?

Clowney isn't going anywhere. 

Fowler is a more interesting case. The Jaguars are now 3-5 and may need to win seven or eight games down the stretch to worm their way into the postseason. Maybe it's too soon for the Jaguars to consider selling off some pieces, considering they reached the AFC Championship Game a year ago and still have a young, on-the-rise roster, but if they deem any players expendable to their long-term plans, perhaps they could be enticed to sell. 

The Jaguars also appear to have concerns with team chemistry and overall morale, another reason they could potentially be sellers before Tuesday.

Fowler has had an up-and-down tenure in Jacksonville that has included off-field issues, a rookie season completely lost to injury and mixed results on the field. He had a solid 2017 campaign, registering eight sacks, but this year he's managed just two in the team's first eight games, stuck in a rotation with Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell.

Nonetheless, as Pro Football Focus noted earlier in the week, Fowler would be an intriguing target for teams seeking an upgrade on the edge:

"Jacksonville's odd man out along the defensive line, Dante Fowler Jr., would have an immediate effect pressuring opposing quarterbacks with his 84.2 pass-rush grade. The former first-round pick is in the fourth year of his rookie deal and would be a steal for any team in need of one of the most valuable positions on the field."

If the Jaguars could include him in a deal for an upgrade at quarterback, they would be wise to jump at the chance. More realistically, interested teams will dangle mid-range draft picks for the young pass-rusher. It wouldn't be shocking if Fowler has a new address in the next day or two.

Finally, there's Floyd. Like the Texans, the Bears (4-3) remain in the playoff picture, so it's hard to see them playing the role of sellers. Plus, the Bears already have Sam Acho on injured reserve and were without Khalil Mack on Sunday (ankle), leaving their depth on the edge running thin. 

Floyd hasn't been very dangerous out wide, either, failing to register a sack this season. So unless a team is really desperate, the Bears would probably be selling low. But given their playoff aspirations and current depth issues on the edge, Floyd likely isn't going anywhere.